What You Need to Know About Conveyor Operator or Tender
Career Description Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.
Life As a Conveyor Operator or Tender: What Do They Do?
- Collect samples of materials or products, checking them to ensure conformance to specifications or sending them to laboratories for analysis.
- Observe packages moving along conveyors to identify packages, detect defective packaging, and perform quality control.
- Thread strapping through strapping tools and secure battens with strapping to form protective pallets around extrusions.
- Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Operate elevator systems in conjunction with conveyor systems.
- Contact workers in work stations or other departments to request movement of materials, products, or machinery, or to notify them of incoming shipments and their estimated delivery times.
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Things a Conveyor Operator or Tender Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Conveyor Operators and Tenders say are important on the job.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Conveyor Operator or Tender
- Stacker Tender
- Palletizer Operator
- Strapper Operator
- Conveyor Technician
- Debarker Operator
Job Outlook for Conveyor Operators and Tenders
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 28,100 jobs in the United States for Conveyor Operator or Tender. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Conveyor Operator or Tender. The BLS estimates 3,700 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Conveyor Operator or Tender are Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in New Mexico, Maine, or Iowa. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Conveyor Operator or Tender
The typical yearly salary for Conveyor Operators and Tenders is somewhere between $23,960 and $49,890.

Conveyor Operators and Tenders who work in Wyoming, West Virginia, or Utah, make the highest salaries.
How much do Conveyor Operators and Tenders make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $39,280 |
Arizona | $29,850 |
Arkansas | $29,060 |
California | $36,170 |
Colorado | $34,910 |
Delaware | $35,100 |
Florida | $30,330 |
Georgia | $35,050 |
Hawaii | $34,660 |
Idaho | $39,890 |
Illinois | $33,900 |
Indiana | $34,740 |
Iowa | $34,730 |
Kansas | $35,510 |
Kentucky | $38,190 |
Louisiana | $36,650 |
Maine | $37,470 |
Maryland | $34,080 |
Massachusetts | $38,350 |
Michigan | $37,460 |
Minnesota | $35,690 |
Mississippi | $31,750 |
Missouri | $32,500 |
Montana | $41,610 |
Nebraska | $32,080 |
Nevada | $40,560 |
New Hampshire | $36,000 |
New Jersey | $35,350 |
New Mexico | $33,190 |
New York | $36,560 |
North Carolina | $33,770 |
North Dakota | $39,030 |
Ohio | $33,590 |
Oklahoma | $34,330 |
Oregon | $39,660 |
Pennsylvania | $37,700 |
South Carolina | $35,080 |
South Dakota | $32,390 |
Tennessee | $36,910 |
Texas | $28,870 |
Utah | $44,900 |
Virginia | $34,180 |
Washington | $37,630 |
West Virginia | $53,390 |
Wisconsin | $40,190 |
Wyoming | $70,560 |
What Tools do Conveyor Operators and Tenders Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Conveyor Operators and Tenders may use on a daily basis:
- Data entry software
- Microsoft Windows
Becoming a Conveyor Operator or Tender
Are there Conveyor Operators and Tenders education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Conveyor Operator or Tender?

Where do Conveyor Operators and Tenders Work?

Below are examples of industries where Conveyor Operators and Tenders work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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